The Panther Perspective

GEMS United School Monthly Newsletter - 7th Edition

Kate Vavpetic

Head of School

Dear Parents,

The year is flying by! Next week, you will receive a letter from GEMS Education about re-enrollment for the 2019-20 academic year. Our school is strong and we’re continuing to improve. NEASC and KHDA have each noted the significant improvements in teaching and learning, as well as the use of data and assessment to personalize learning, since September.

Our teachers are happy here, and committed to your children and our school, as evidenced by a record-low 7% turnover rate. The inspection teams also noted the unique warmth and community feel of our school, and saw lots of evidence of positive, forward momentum and improvements that lift our whole community. We hope you’ll choose to stay with US! Please feel free to talk with me if you have questions about re-enrollment.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Kate

CALENDAR & ANNOUNCEMENTS

News & Updates

  • High School - Friday & Saturday, Mar. 1-2, UAE Global Education Fair with over 100+ universities in one location at the Crowne Plaza Dubai from 4-7pm. For more information click here.
  • Sunday, Mar. 3 is the start of a "B" week.
  • Sunday - Tuesday, Mar. 3-5 Stu Williamson will be on campus to take sports team, new student photos & picture retakes. Please see the information below under School Photography for timings and attire requirements.
  • Monday's Parent Book Club WILL NOT be held this Monday. This session has been rescheduled to Monday, Mar. 11th.
  • NO SCHOOL THURSDAY, MAR. 7TH. - This is a Professional Development day for all faculty and staff. There is NO SCHOOL for students; classes resume Sunday, Mar. 10th. and this will be an "A" week.
  • Sunday, Mar. 10th (Gr. 9-12) Course Information Night 3:30-5:30pm in the auditorium for students in grades 9-12. Students will learn about course options for next year and the Counseling department will host a presentation on university and careers and standardized testing: SAT & ACT prep.
  • Tuesday, Mar. 12th - The HS Counseling department has arranged for a trusted third-party provider to offer a Career Guidance Assessment starting at 1:45pm (until 4pm) in F102. The assessment costs 375dhs (to be collected at the event). This assessment is highly recommended for any student in high school. Students will receive information about personalized careers and education advice which is useful in making informed decisions about study pathways and career opportunities. Registration required: Register here .
  • Alladdin musical tickets are now on sale for 35dhs/ticket and can be purchased through reception. This production will be playing Mar. 24-26th beginning at 6:30pm in the auditorium.
  • Elementary Community Sharing will be held on Thursday, Mar. 14th at 8:45am with KG2 performing. All parents welcome.
  • International Day - Thursday, Mar. 14th. Students are encouraged to come to school dressed in their national attire or colors of their flag. School timings for this day are as follows: Elementary students will be released at 2:15pm & Secondary at 3pm. All buses will depart at their regular scheduled time at 3:45pm. Elementary parents are encouraged to pick-up their child(ren) to enjoy the festivities and bus-riding students will be monitored by their Homeroom Teacher & Teaching Assistant.
  • Read with US - The week of Mar. 17th the Literacy & Library teams are hosting a week of activities across campus to support and encourage reading. Activities include: wear your favorite hat in recognition of Dr. Seuss' birthday, favorite book character dress-up day, drop everything and read, and read with a buddy. See the poster below in the section titled "From the Librarian's Desk."
  • On March 17th from 3:30-5:00pm our HS Counseling department will host a Universities Fair on campus in the quad with over 50+ universities on campus. We hope to see all of our Sophomores and Juniors as well as their parents attend.
  • PreK Teddy Bear Picnic Tuesday, Mar. 19th from 9-10am outside on the covered elementary pitch. Do you know someone with a little one ready to start PreK? Bring your friends. There will be fun activities for the little ones to enjoy !
  • This month's House Spirit Day will be on Thursday, Mar. 21st. Wear your colors and stand out!
  • Looking ahead - This year Spring Break will begin at noon on Mar. 28th. All classes will resume on Sunday, Apr. 14th and this will be a "B" week.
  • 2018-2019 GUS Yearbook cover design competition. What: A chance for your artwork/design to be featured on the cover of the GUS yearbook. Who: ANYONE! Students, parents and staff of all ages. When: Submit your masterpiece by Apr. 18th to Mrs. Hamlet at j.hamlet_gus@gemsedu.com
    • Contest rules: Design must include a panther or panther paws, and artwork related to Dubai and/or the crest of GEMS United School. The design is to be submitted digitally.
    • Mrs. Vavpetic will determine the winner. If you have any questions, please see Mrs. Khoury or Mrs. Hamlet.

RE-ENROLLMENT

Kambree Moses, Registrar

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at k.moses_gus@gemsedu.com

Re-enrollment will open next week and you will be receiving an email with all the details on Sunday. We ask that you let us know if your family will be returning to school next year so we can prepare for 2019-20. If you will not be returning, please process a withdrawal through our system. We hope to see you with US next year!

We are happy to continue the 3rd child discount of 25% for families with three children enrolled at GEMS US. Siblings of GEMS US students are offered priority placement. Please have them apply now so we can offer them priority while we have availability.

In addition, we will continue to offer the GEMS Scholarship Program. Students currently in Grades 5 through 11 are eligible to apply for a merit scholarship for 2019-20 in a variety of fields. For more information regarding the scholarship application process, please visit our website at https://www.gemsunitedschool.com/admissions/gems-scholarships/ or speak with the Admissions Office.

If you have any questions, come by and see me in the Admissions Office, call the school, or send me an email at k.moses_gus@gemsedu.com

Thank you,

Kambree Moses

Registrar

SPORTS TEAM PICTURES -NEW STUDENT PICTURES & RETAKES

Stu Williamson Sports Team Pictures

See the schedule below for all Season 1 & 2 Sports Team photo sessions which will be taken Sunday-Tuesday, Mar. 3-5.

If your child is in possession of his/her team sports kit, they will need to bring it in order to take a team photo. Please be sure to pack a pair of athletic shoes as well.

All Elementary sports teams are to wear their PE kits for team pictures.

NEW THIS YEAR - Interested students can take individual sports photos this year. See the schedule below for timings.

New Student Pictures & Retakes

If you are new to GEMS US and haven't had your child's photo taken or would like to take a picture re-take, please be sure to have your child wear his/her full school uniform on Tuesday, March 5th (even if it is a PE day).

Ordering Photos

Photos taken during this photo shoot will be available for ordering in approximately 3 weeks. Once photos are available to purchase, you will be informed via email and via newsletters. This year we will be introducing a sports background in photos. We hope you will enjoy them!

WWW MIDDLE SCHOOL

Many of our Middle School students were off campus this week on trips which sharpened their team building skills, opened the door to new experiences and etched new memories to treasure for years to come!

Sri Lanka Adventure

Ecoventure

Human Library

What is The Human Library?

By Tracie Landry

The concept is simple: In a Human Library the “books” are people and “reading” is a conversation.

MS students participated in GEMS US’s first ever Human Library. Volunteers, from our support staff of administrative assistants, conductors, cleaners, gardeners and lifeguards became a part of a diverse “human bookshelf” on Monday morning. Our “readers” interviewed three or four different human books asking questions to learn about the lives of these people in our GEMS US community who help make our campus such a special place to be.

Students then took time to make portraits, posters, sculptures, stories, and presentations to help us all get to know their human books better. Thursday, an installation of their work ran all day in D block.

From the Librarian's Desk

Displays in the Library

Theodor Geisel Award Winners:

March 2 is Dr. Seuss’ (Theodor Geisel) Birthday.

The Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year.

The library will have it’s collection of winning and honor books on display until March 15.

Women’s History Month:

March is Women’s History Month - all month long the library will be featuring books about amazing women from the fields of politics, science, athletics, performance, and social activism. There are books for all our readers K-12 and in English and Arabic. Join US in celebrating the amazing contributions women make to our world.

New Arabic Books:

The library has just added 60 beautiful new Arabic picture books to its collection. They will be on display until the end of March.

Upcoming Events:

March 17 - 21 is READ with US week. Two big events will be a dress as your favorite book character day (so start planning your costume) and a book walk - want to volunteer to read your favorite story? We would love to have stories not only in English but also from the many other languages of our community. To volunteer to read sign-up here.

100 DAYS OF SCHOOL

Celebrating 100 Days of School

Our kindergarten and first grade students enjoyed the opportunity to have a little fun and participate in activities celebrating 100 days of school.

It's hard to believe we're already over 50% through the 2018-19 academic year (57% to be exact).

PANTHER SPORTS

Liam Kirwan, Athletic Director

For any questions regarding sports teams, please email l.kirwan_gus@gemsedu.com

Panther Proud!!

Last weekend our Varsity Girls Basketball team competed at the AUD Sports Challenge and walked away champions for Varsity Girls Basketball. We couldn't be prouder as they were up against much bigger schools with over 30 schools participating in the AUD event.

CONGRATULATIONS!

GEMS US Teachers Vs. Students

This week we also had a little fun on campus with a teachers vs. students volleyball match that ended with a tie. Of course, we can't leave it as a tie as there leaves no bragging rights. As such, this Sunday, Mar. 3rd after school, the students and teachers are going to play one final game to see who will be the champions. Join US as these events are always a lot of fun to watch!

Upcoming Games and Results

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

Heather Massaquoi, Head of Fine Arts

For any questions regarding music programs, please email h.massaquoi_gus@gemsedu.com

Alladdin is coming to GEMS US

Our students are practicing diligently and can't wait to perform for you and your family. You don't want to miss this performance. It's a wonderful family event you are sure to enjoy! Stay tuned on social media for a sneak peak of our musical cast and costumes.

Community Performances

The Emirates Literature Fest is quickly approaching and our students are taking to the stage on Saturday, Mar. 9th at 10:45am at the Intercontinental Dubai in Festival city. We would love to see you there. See the poster below for timings.

PARENTS ASSOCIATION

International Day -Thursday, March 14th

If you haven't registered for a table, it's time to do so as we are finalizing the countries participating in this year's International Day festivities. Please see below for countries already registered. We have over 60 nationalities at GEMS US and we would really like to see all of our families represented.

  • Canada
  • Denmark
  • France
  • Greece
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Jordan/Palestine
  • Lebanon
  • Poland
  • South Korea
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sweden
  • Syria
  • United States of America

If you are interested in representing your country, a sign-up booklet is located in the reception area. For parents interested who do not visit the school, please email our Parents Association at gemsuspa@gmail.com.

Contact Us

If you would like to join the Parents Association or assist in planning events, we welcome your participation. Contact us at gemsuspa@gmail.com.

EVERYDAY NEEDS

March Menus (Gr. 5-12)

Located on our GEMS US website under the Parents tab; you can also click here - March menus

Slices Registration

Want to register for Slices canteen services? Click the parent Sign-Up link below.

Absences

When your child is ill or will not be attending school, you will need to inform the school about your child's absence to the following GEMS US staff member:

Please include your child's name, grade & section along with a day of expected return (if known).

For extended absences , please complete the absence form and return to the appropriate staff member noted above for approval by the Principal.

To view your child's report cards, grades (Gr. 6-12), MAP results and CAT 4 (for applicable grades), visit our Plus Portals login page (Secondary). Elementary families need to login at Plus Portals login (Elementary)

Your user name is your registered email (each parent has a separate account) and your password is specific to your requirements.

You can select "can't access your account" to recover/reset your unique password. If you need assistance, please contact Suja at s.vijayakumari_gus@Gemsedu.com

Google Classroom Assistance

Our resident Google Super User, Jennifer Hamlet, is available Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3-4pm on "A" weeks. You don't need an appointment. Just pop-in, F Block, Room 004 and learn more.

GEMS EDUCATION

To learn more about GEMS Scholarship opportunities, click here. Scholarships are available for students in grades 5 through 11 and the deadline to apply is May 31st.

Contact Mr. Mohamed Abdul Wajeed at 050-6167137 or Mr. Jijesh K 052-7575967 to learn more about the GEMS FAB credit card. Alternatively, you can email mohamed.faisal@bankfab.com

AFFILIATES

Elementary session on Thursdays from 3:30-4:30pm (no ASA bus on this day) and an additional offering on Saturdays from 9-10am.

  • Participants are entitled to 1 free trial session. For all additional info regarding costs and registration, please send an email to info@pssa.ae or WhatsApp 056 415 3505.

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